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I get a call from my Gf saying the metro wont start after taking her mum home (10 min up the road) there had previously been a couple of missfires when i was using it, so I thought the points may be closing up... on arrival I took out the distributor (after marking the location) and noticed that the points were badly pitted, so the next day I went and bought new points, condensor, rotor, cap, leads and plugs, as I was planning on a full service anyway... fitted them all and still nothing, then the battery went flat. I called the RAC and they came and they found there was no spark, and told me it was the coil, so I went out and bought a new coil (ballast type) fited that, and still nothing... no spark at the plugs, or at the coil end, so i tested the live to the + side of the coil with ignition on, and there was one... so now im really stumped...

any ideas!!??

many thanks!

Ed

Wire from coil to distributor broken?

Check the engine block and ignition system is earthing properly, otherwise all that energy going into your coil is not going to be fired off.

Had an almost identical problem the otherday on a mates mini (power to coil but no spark out) and improving the battery earth in the boot and various other earths in the engine bay and ignition system fixed the problem.

Double double check the neg lead off the coil especially !

Worth a try as it only costs time not money and can't do any harm

Best of luck J


(edited due to alchol)

In my old Metro, the ballast resistor for the coil is a resistance wire in the wiring harness. It extends a couple of feet into the loom.
When I had starting issues, it was the wire that had broken down (you still get the feed from the ignition, but this is cut-off during cranking).
I replaced the wire with normal copper wire, replaced the coil with a 12v one, and never had a problem again.

-You can try adding a 12v supply to the coil to see if it starts? -Don't leave it on for too long as the coil will get hot and bothered, but it's a simple test?

tedmund

have you tried giving it a damm good thrashing?

guru_1071 wrote:tedmund

have you tried giving it a damm good thrashing?

Yes and here is the DIY video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78b67l_yxUc